Cats CEO Andy Turner has squashed the rumour that former coach Laurie Mains would be taking over from Frans Ludeke in a desperate bid to bail out the ailing franchise.

Speculation of the switch appeared on suparugby.com, but Turner has said that that comment was way off the mark. “That is not true,” he told keo.co.za emphatically. “There is absolutely no way that will happen. There are reports of speculation that the coach will change, but there is no speculation from our side.”

Turner said that as far as he was concerned the problem was not with Ludeke’s coaching, but rather with certain players. And this is what emerged after the video sessions with Springbok coach Jake White on Monday.

“When we all viewed the videos, it was clear that the problem was not the coaches, but instead the execution by some of the players,” he said, but refused to be drawn on the possibility of Ludeke having signed a five-year contract. “I can’t comment on that just yet.”

White had to leave the Cats after just one day, but apparently left with some words of wisdom. Springboks Ashwin Willemse and Enrico Januarie are sure starters against the Sharks and with White a firm believer that size does count, expect the pack to be bulked up considerably, Suparugby.com reported.

While Mains is highly regarded in Cats rugby circles, he remains merely a mentor to Ludeke and will not be asked to step into the breach. Besides Mains is well known for his poor people skills and his return to Ellis Park would be nothing more than a stop gap manoeuvre. A long-term solution is required if the Cats are to break out of their current slump and continue producing.